Today’s post was submitted by guest blogger, Linden Coyne.  She tells about her recent experience with lots to do, limited time, and three children to tend to.

It’s Friday night, the week before Halloween, and a friend invites us to her house on the Eastern Shore for a Halloween Parade that Sunday. Sounds great, but we don’t have costumes. Few things seem more painful than walking three rambunctious kids through a Halloween store to pick out overpriced, plastic costumes that will only be worn once (if at all).

Saturday morning, determined to find materials to make costumes, I come across two yards of felt – one pink, one brown. Using a photo from a recent Pottery Barn catalog I begin to create a cupcake costume for my daughter Nola, who was really only excited about the strawberry that would go on her head. I also find a template for a spider costume designed for a dog on MarthaStewart.com for my 2-year-old Rocco.

Saturday night I begin sewing on the couch with a sleeping baby on my lap and a screaming husband watching football. Sunday morning I’m stitching and stuffing all the way to the Eastern Shore. We arrive just as I finish hacking together my hair bands to secure Rocco’s spider to his back.

As we pull into the driveway Nola sees a friend in a Sleeping Beauty dress. The tantrum begins and the cupcake costume stays in the car. Ten minutes later I find Rocco’s spider in the bushes. Success? Maybe not, but the kids had a great time without their costumes. I also avoided the trip to the Halloween store, I saved money, I don’t have environmental guilt, and my shoddy stitching was complimented for its “boutiquey” look (SCORE!).

Now let’s see what happens on Halloween.